


It Started Way Back in Third Grade

by AcesOfSpade



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Everything is pretty different, F/M, M/M, Slow Build, They adopt a Vulcan kid, Third Graders, very slow build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 11:54:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5455613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcesOfSpade/pseuds/AcesOfSpade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>S'chnn T'gai Spock hadn't been pleased when his mother had convinced his father that they should spend some time living on Earth. Of course, as he became adjusted, he met a boy his age who would change things for him forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Started Way Back in Third Grade

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PleasePassTheDinglehopper (EverythingMapleLeafs)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=PleasePassTheDinglehopper+%28EverythingMapleLeafs%29).



> 10.3k. Save me. About a month's worth of work went into this. Kill me now. I don't know what chapter breaks are. RIP me.

Earth was much different than Vulcan, the seven-year-old hybrid noted. The atmosphere was much different, and the climate much colder in comparison. He didn't know how long it would take him to adjust, but he knew he would. His mother had won out against his father on the debate of moving to Earth, Amanda citing that 'living on Earth would help him stay in touch with his human side'. Sarek had been helpless but to agree; arguing with such logic was illogical. Thus, there was the seven-year-old Spock, standing in front of a classroom of other kids his age, trying to bury his face in the neckline of his sweater.

 

Despite it being a warm, April morning to most of the students, Spock was freezing, bundled up in a knit sweater Amanda had made for him and a pair of long pants. He could feel the eyes of the other students on him, curious gazes boring into the Vulcan's skull. Each second the teacher droned on about their new student felt like hours. Vulcans were not meant to show emotions, but inside, Spock felt awkward and helpless.

 

Miss Abernathy droned on about how happy she was that they had a new student in the class, one who had come so far across the galaxy to embrace his human roots. After what felt like hours, but was really only ten minutes, Spock was allowed to scamper off and find a desk to sit in. He chose one near the middle of the classroom, next to a sandy blonde hair boy on one side and a boy of obvious Asian decent on the other. He tuned them out in favour of listening to the lesson coming from the teacher, despite having already covered the subject hen he was much younger. There was something unique about having a living being teach you something as opposed to a robotic computer. Confusion was met with explanation, and there seemed to be no punishment for such an emotion.

 

It was during a lesson a week later that Spock finally uttered a word in class. He had been mostly silent during his first week, not speaking to anyone in the class. He chose to speak to the upperclassmen on advanced subjects, but even then, he rarely spoke. When he finally did, it was to correct the teacher on her pronunciation of something she was teaching. His hand had been politely raised in the air, a neutral look on his face. Miss Abernathy called on him with a slightly confused look, listening to what he had to say.

 

“ _Sai-vel_.” he said simply, correcting her pronunciation of the Vulcan term for clothing. The teacher nodded, accepting the correction and moving on. She hadn't realized that Spock was fluent in Vulcan, believing him to be the son of a human ambassador on the planet, thus not needing to learn the language.

 

That became a regular thing, correcting the teacher's Vulcan. Most of the time, it was the only time he spoke in class. He hadn't a clue why she insisted on speaking in various languages if her pronunciation was off, but he left it alone and continued to correct her broken Vulcan.

 

During one class, Spock had been reading ahead in a science lesson, not paying attention to Miss Abernathy at all. When she called upon him to answer a question, he answered in flawless Vulcan out of habit.

 

“ _Dah-leh, sanem-tor leh-oh, dahsau nau-leh_.” he said, turning back to his PADD. Miss Abernathy blinked a few times, translating the answer for the rest of the class.

 

“Twenty, minus 18, divided by 9.” Okay, she was paraphrasing, but these were third graders; they wouldn't quite understand the direct translation.

 

As Spock's time in Iowa drug on, he still had yet to make a friend. The students in his class were intimidated by him, and the upperclassmen saw him as a joke. He sat alone during breaks, usually under a tree with a PADD so he could study.

 

One day, while Spock was studying advanced xeniobiology just after his eighth birthday, the sandy blonde boy he sat next to in class had come to sit by the tree as well, a PADD sitting on his lap. He seemed to be reading something, something Spock couldn't make out. The boy, whom he believed to be named Jim, seemed to be immersed in his literature, brows set in a furrow and mouth set in a line as he read. He had begun to mouth words as he read, so Spock could somewhat understand what he was reading. Some of the words the hybrid could make out were 'regulation', 'helmsman', 'yeoman', and 'command'. It seemed the strange boy was studying the Starfleet manifesto. Odd choice of literature for a human of the third-grade educational level, but Spock left him be. The boy seemed to be intelligent, if going by test scores and class participation. His intelligence could have rivalled Spock's own if Spock had attended a human school all his educational career.

* * *

James Tiberius Kirk was many things: intelligent, brave, fun, determined. Shy was never one of those things. However, after the new boy from Vulcan had joined his class, he had become timid around him, trying not to offend him. He would never freely admit that the Vulcan boy intimidated him, but he did. Nothing intimidated James Kirk, not even his Uncle Frank. This boy, this _Spock_ , had come along and shook everything up.

 

As the time Spock spent in his class extended, James had begun to pick up bits and pieces of Vulcan, which actually pleased his mother Winona. He also wanted to try harder around Spock, actually putting effort into his work and tests. He was intelligent, incredibly so, but he had lacked conviction before Spock had come along. Now, he almost felt like this was a competition, that he needed to be as smart, or smarter, than Spock.

 

James had noticed that Spock always sat alone during class breaks outside, under the same tree each day. He always had a PADD with him, studying something or another that James could probably understand.

 

Deciding to bring a PADD outside with him to study the Starfleet Captain's manifesto, James had went to sit under what he had dubbed 'Spock's tree'. Out of habit, he was mouthing words as he read, face set in concentration. He knew he wanted to be a Starfleet captain; his father had been the captain of the _USS Kelvin_ when he had died. James wanted to be like his father, he really did.

 

He had been so absorbed in his reading that he didn't hear the bell sound to tell him he needed to return to class. He was still reading as Spock stood, turning off his own PADD in favour of heading inside. When the boy noticed James, he lightly kicked his leg with the toe of his boot to gain his attention.

 

“The bell has rung.” Spock said when he got the boy's attention. James nodded, turning off the PADD and standing up to head in as well.

 

Back in class, James lost himself in the manifesto again, not paying attention to Miss Abernathy until she called on him for an answer. Glancing up at the board, he took a few seconds to calculate before he spoke.

 

“If you take the sum of those numbers and multiply them by 13, you should get the product you want.” he hummed, returning to his reading. Miss Abernathy nodded, going back to her lesson. She was pleased with James' developments in class. He usually slacked off, not turning his work in or not putting in any effort. Ever since the Vulcan boy came along, Jim's grades had gone up substantially, and he was answering more questions in class. On a few occasions, he even corrected Miss Abernathy during lessons.

 

Spock had glanced over at James when he gave the answer, his eyebrows moving a fraction of an inch toward his hairline. He had noticed James' improved performance in classes, but he hadn't realized that he could do such calculations in his head after not paying a shred of attention to the lesson. If he were to admit, which he never would, Spock was impressed by the small human boy.

 

Months passed and James' grades only got better, until he was pulling 90s and 100s in most of the class' subjects. He was still lacking in art, but that was not a huge deal. He didn't need art to be a Captain; he needed to be smart.

 

As the months passed, Spock had begun to work up the courage he needed to speak with James. He knew he needn't, but something in him was worried about speaking to the boy. He was talkative and friendly, yes, but how would be react to a conversation with the boy he perceived as competition?

 

It took four months for Spock to do it. It was March, the cool Earth breeze absolutely chilling him to the bone. He was wearing enough layers to suffocate a human, but to him, it still wasn't enough. The bell rang to allow them outside for break, so Spock grabbed a PADD and went to sit under the tree, as per usual. James was sitting there as well, a PADD sitting on his lap. He seemed to be playing some sort of game, a difference from his usual studying.

 

Spock sat under the tree, closer to James than he usually would. He read a few paragraphs of his study material, a comprehensive look at Earth's history, before turning to James and clearing his throat.

 

James looked up from his game, turning to face Spock. He gave the Vulcan a smile, wondering what he wanted to talk about.

 

“James, correct?” Spock asked, hoping to start a conversation.

 

“That's me; James Kirk. You're Spock, right? Spock Grayson?” James nodded. Spock internally cringed at the use of his mother's surname. It was not that he did not love his mother, but the use of a human surname paired with his obviously Vulcan name was cringe-worthy.

 

Nodding, Spock moved closer to James. “Spock is apt.” he said.

 

“Spock it is.” James smiled. “So, Spock, what are you reading?” he asked curiously.

 

Spock glanced at his powered down PADD then back at James. “It is a study guide detailing Earth's 21st century.” he answered. “It is a fascinating period in history.”

 

“Yeah, I've heard the 21st century was pretty cool.” James nodded. “A lot of our tech now was invented back then.”

 

“Indeed.” Spock nodded. “Might I enquire as to what you were playing?”

“Oh, just a game my friend Scotty put together. He needed a beta tester for it, and I needed something to do. Ran out of things to study.” James shrugged, turning the PADD back on to show Spock. It seemed simple enough, the game. It was stylized like an old Earth arcade game Spock vaguely recognized as being called 'Legend of Zelda', with a boy dressed in a green tunic carrying a sword. The boy had pointed ears, which caused Spock's own to perk. The controls were simple as well, leading the boy around an open-world map as he defeated enemies with the help of a shadowy creature called Twila. Spock found it interesting. Maybe he would talk to this 'Scotty' person about beta testing it as well.

 

“Fascinating.” Spock found himself muttering as he watched the game-play. “This 'Scotty' is a very skilled programmer and graphic designer.”

 

James nodded with a grin. “Scotty's great; he's trying to become an engineer for Starfleet.” Scotty was a seventh grader, but he befriended the small third grader when he saw promise in him. He was from Scotland, which was kind of funny to James, because his last name was Scott.

 

As the pair kept talking about the game, the bell rang loudly, cutting them off. Both agreed to meet there next break to discuss the game and possible alterations while they headed in to class. By the time the next break came, Spock had been introduced to Scotty and given a beta copy of the game. During the break, he and James bounced improvements off of each other to relay to Scotty at the end of the day. They had agreed to meet at break for the foreseeable future, even if they didn't beta test Scotty's games.

* * *

So many years later, a 15 year old James Kirk sat on his bed at home with a PADD balanced on his dresser. He was video chatting with Spock, who had been back on Vulcan for three years. His father had convinced Amanda that five years was enough time spent on Earth, forcing a relocation back to Vulcan. The move didn't deter James and Spock's friendship, possibly strengthened it actually. They video chatted at least three times a week, talking about school and such. Sometimes, they would study together, working out complex problems together. To James, it just felt right, working alongside Spock like that. It felt like they were meant to work together to solve problems, ones beyond those of advanced calculus or biotechnology.

 

Since Spock left, James hadn't been able to fill his slot as best friend. He'd met an upperclassman named Leonard McCoy who came pretty close, but the southern man would never be Spock. He lacked the calculated nature of the Vulcan, and his southern accent was foreign compared to Spock's even, logical tone. He would never admit it to Spock, but James missed him more than he should. Spock was James' best friend, he had every right to miss him, but this feeling of missing him almost felt like longing. It was foreign to James, so he ignored it.

 

Spock, despite living on Vulcan, did his best to work his emotion into his life. Taking after his older brother Sybok in a sense, Spock's emotions started to get him in trouble as much as his mother's existence had. He got in fights almost every day, usually video chatting James with a split lip or a bruised eye. The sight caused James to chuckle, which Spock thought was a beautiful sound. James was so human, so emotional, that it drew Spock even closer to his best friend.

 

That day, their conversation was about Spock being betrothed to another Vulcan named T'Pring. Spock was displeased with the arrangement, not wanting to be forced into a marriage by his father. He wanted to study abroad, wanted to live his own life. He didn't want to be tied down to someone he had barely met, but Sarek kept insisting. Secretly, James was... jealous. Why, he didn't quite understand, but he was jealous of T'Pring being promised to Spock. It made his chest feel funny and painful, like someone was crushing his heart.

 

The conversation ended when Frank called James down for some damn reason or another. Signing off with a Vulcan salute, James switched off his PADD and ran downstairs to see what his uncle wanted.

 

Spock, on the other hand, had slumped down in his chair when James signed off. He ran a hand down his face, groaning into his palm. He was letting emotion guide his life like his half-brother had, and those emotions kept bringing him back to James Kirk. He felt strange things for James, things that not even his mother could accurately explain to him. From what he had read about and learned from Amanda, these feelings could possibly be love. Could he be in love with his best friend? He occasionally entertained the possibility, wondering how James would react. During his studies on Earth's history as a child, Spock had read about the stigmatization of homosexual relationships. While most of the stigma had dissolved by the 23rd century, there were still those individuals whose ancestors had ingrained the stigma into their heads, leaving homosexuals, or people of other sexual orientations, open to harassment.

* * *

He was 16 now. James was now allowed to leave Frank's care and go wherever he wanted. He still had another year of schooling, but he knew exactly where he was going to complete that year. He had made arrangements and everything, behind Uncle Frank's back for months now. Everything was in place, all he needed was for Frank to sign the emancipation papers. As soon as he did, James was leaving Iowa. Hell, he was leaving _Earth_. He was done here for a while. He needed a change of scenery, needed his best friend within walking distance.

 

Everything had been arranged through Spock and Amanda. Sarek had been adamant about the whole thing, but he was powerless to stop it. His wife and his youngest son were pushing for this to happen, and he couldn't fight them. He was sure that if Spock asked, Sybok would be on their side as well. In defeat, he had taken a back seat as the plans were made to accommodate James on Vulcan.

 

It had been two weeks after he turned 16 when Frank finally signed the papers. James had been wearing him down, annoying the shit out of him until he did. As soon as the papers were filed and approved, James was gone. Didn't bother saying goodbye to Frank. Just took a few boxes of his stuff from the farmhouse and left.

 

When he arrived on Vulcan, James couldn't help but notice the heat. Spock had warned him about that, so he had packed mostly shorts and short sleeved shirts, but this was ridiculous. It was like that one summer when James was four and the temperatures got so high things were melting. Nothing seemed to be melting though, so that was good.

 

Amanda and Spock had arranged to meet him when his shuttle arrived, Amanda immediately rushing over to hug him tightly. She had come to see James as a third son, even if Sybok wasn't technically hers. When she let go, the three went to grab James' things, which was just a backpack and two smallish boxes. He hadn't taken much from home, only what he thought he needed.

 

Amanda couldn't help but notice the grip he held on the strap of his backpack, as if his most treasured possessions were held within. Honestly, she wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. Humans like to cling to their treasures, keeping them close. A backpack ensured James would keep the items within reach, lest something happen to the other boxes.

 

As they walked towards their home, Spock observed Jim's movements. He seemed unsure of his new place on Vulcan, he could tell. His strides were short, calculated, like he was trying to fit in. The usual twinkle of mirth in his eyes had dulled, replaced with uncertainty and... fear. Spock could only imagine the fear was based on his own horror stories of Amanda's treatment on the planet, as well as Spock's own. James had every right to be fearful, but Spock would try his best to keep James safe.

 

Once he was all situated and ready, it was about time for the new semester at the Vulcan Learning Centre. Spock and James had been enrolled, James having been given a crash-course in Vulcan schooling. He believed himself to be ready for such a thing, but then, he was never really ready for anything besides his departure from Earth.

 

His first day of school was interesting. Standing in one of the little bowl-pods, as he insisted upon calling them, James answered most of the questions within moments of them being asked. He silently thanked and praised himself for having Spock give him a run-down of what to look out for. James may have a genius-level IQ by human standards, but he wasn't in possession of an eidetic memory like Vulcans were.

 

Once he was released from his pod, James climbed the stairs to head out with Spock. As he reached the top step, a small group of Vulcans converged upon him, all tall and skinny as cornstalks. Their dark bowl cuts and inky eyes did nothing to deter James from his course of action, until one of them held out his foot to trip the human. James stumbled forward, ultimately needing to brace his fall with his hands as his knees made contact with the group. A sharp shot of pain radiated form his kneecaps, but he showed no emotion. He wouldn't let these alien bullies get a reaction from him.

 

One of the Vulcans delivered an unceremonious kick to his side, right around the area of his left kidney. It hurt, but he still didn't react. He kept his emotions in check as the Vulcans began spewing insults, calling him 'inferior', 'dirty', 'unwanted', 'lost', and even 'misconstrued'. They made it plainly obvious that Kirk and his painful humanity was not welcomed on Vulcan, taunting him even after Spock came by to offer him a hand up. The teenage Vulcan had slowly lost his aversion to touching James, almost always offering a hand when he needed it.

 

Careful not to grab his hand, James wrapped a hand around Spock's wrist to pull himself up off the ground, giving his best friend a grateful nod. The Vulcan trio sneered at the physical contact, almost rolling their eyes. Oh, but that would be showing emotion, so they just glared and left them alone.

 

“James, are you alright?” Spock asked softly as they left the building, heading back home. James nodded, flexing his knees more than he needed while walking in an attempt to ease the pain. It had taken everything he had to not deck each of those smug Vulcans in the face, which he counted as an accomplishment on his first day, as well as his remarkable feedback on his lessons.

 

“'m fine, Spock.” James said, barely masking the growl lacing his usually cheerful voice. He would do this, he would get through his last year of school on Vulcan, and then he could apply to Starfleet Academy. Just the promise of application was enough to drive him through a year of studies and fighting off asshole Vulcans alongside his best friend in all of the known universe.

 

James' 17th birthday was fast approaching, and Amanda had insisted on throwing him a little party. It had been officially a year since he'd been on Vulcan, just a few weeks shy of the end of the school year. He could almost taste the freedom, and Amanda wanted to celebrate with him. Spock had agreed to help plan the party, and even Sybok, who had only met James a handful of times when he was actually allowed on Vulcan, had offered to help Amanda. Amanda was like a mother to him, and he would do almost anything she asked of him.

 

The day finally came. Spock and James had gone off to school like any other day, James just pretending like it was. None of these assholes needed to know that today was his birthday. It almost seemed like Vulcans didn't celebrate birthdays, merely acknowledged them. Of course, Amanda had insisted on celebrating Spock's birthday three months prior with a small party as well. Amanda treated her sons, for James was her son now too, like any human mother would, despite living on a planet where her human emotions, and James', were frowned upon for being so open. Not to say Vulcans didn't feel, just that they didn't express feelings as freely as humans or other humanoid species.

 

James sat through his lessons, tossing a rubber ball into the air and catching it absently as he parroted answers to the computer. It had been a comfort tool for him, the rubber ball. It was no bigger than a baseball, dark grey in colour. It was simple, but Sam had given it to him, so it was worth keeping and cherishing.

 

After lessons wrapped up for the day, James found Spock and they hightailed it out of there as fast as they could. Sadly, they were cut off by the same three Vulcan males as always. Even after a year, they still harassed James and Spock for being themselves, for _feeling_ openly.

 

James, not in the mood for a confrontation on his birthday, finally threw a punch. Three, to be exact. One punch delivered to each Vulcan's nose. The trickle of green painting their upper lips satisfied James as he and Spock pushed past to return home.

 

When they arrived, Amanda had already set everything up. She had what constituted Vulcan birthday cake, little streamers made of cloth, and a single little box on the table. It wasn't much, but to James, it was so, so special. Amanda had gone out of her way to do something for his birthday, which was enough for him. Uncle Frank never realized his birthday had come and gone, usually just lying passed out drunk on the couch on the day.

 

As was Spock's, the celebration was simple. Amanda and Spock sang 'happy birthday', while Sarek stood back wordlessly. They each had a small piece of the cake, and James carefully opened the gift. The box was fairly small, but he hadn't really expected anything, so the existence of the box pleased him greatly.

 

Inside the box was a small trinket, no bigger than his rubber ball. It was a miniature model of the _USS Kelvin_ , his Dad's ship. He felt his chest constrict, placing the model on the table so he could hug Amanda tightly, muttering 'thank you' into her hair. The emotion radiating off of the boy was unnerving to Sarek, but Spock found it comforting and oh so very _James_.

* * *

A few weeks later, James and Spock were officially done their studies. They no longer had to worry about those three Vulcan boys James had broken the noses of. As soon as they were able, they applied to the Starfleet Academy in San Francisco. Spock had also applied to the Vulcan Science Academy, just to see if they would accept him.

 

It had taken a week for Starfleet to get back to them. Both boys apparently had the highest test scores the Academy had seen in quite some time, extending a warm welcome to both of them at the start of the semester in six weeks.

 

The Vulcan Science Academy took another week to send Spock a letter. He was to stand in front of a panel to receive his verdict, which James thought was bullshit, but anyhow.

 

The panel was something as follows: the Vulcan elders insulted Spock, Spock subtly told them to fuck off, and cemented his place at Starfleet Academy within ten minutes. It had been an interesting story for Spock to tell his family.

 

Amanda had been sad to see her boys off for the Starfleet shuttle. Despite the small crowd of Vulcans nearby to gawk at the shuttle, Amanda had pulled both her boys in for a tight hug, trying not to cry. She had only known James since he was seven, but she had seen them both grow so much in the decade since they met each other. They were so grown up, heading off to become Starfleet officers.

* * *

_Professor_ James Kirk. It had a nice ring to it. Professor James Kirk of the Starfleet Academy. He couldn't believe they were letting this 19 year old kid teach a class, especially seeing as they were letting hm teach inter-species relations to new students. It made him feel giddy inside when they'd offered. It made him feel like he had a chance with Starfleet to do something good.

 

Likewise, Spock had been offered a teaching position as well. He would be teaching Advanced Linguistics, which was something he was exceptionally good at. He took naturally to all kinds of languages, something James had abused during their schooling on Earth for class. Of course, after a while, it rubbed off on the human and he was almost as fluent as Spock in a whole lot of Federation languages.

 

Of course, teaching a bunch of Starfleet hopefuls was no walk in the park for James. He felt he was too lenient with them, but he didn't really know how to be stricter. Most of his students admired him though, looking up to him as an idol. He was only 19, yet here he was, teaching at the Starfleet Academy. Not only that, but his Dad was _George Kirk_. He had a bit of a reputation. Of course, his flirty reputation got him in trouble quite often. Luckily, he knew where to draw lines and boundaries. He never flirted with his students, nor anyone part of a species where flirtation was seen as something completely different than it was on Earth. After all, one can't go around offending various species while simultaneously lecturing about good relations between species. Honestly though, James did his damnedest to put in a good word for Vulcans in most of his lectures. Yes, even the asshole ones. People saw Vulcans as the ultimate Do Not Be, and from what James had witnessed living on Vulcan, that was so, so wrong. If anything, one should strive to be a Vulcan to some capacity. Logical, intelligent, with an immense control over their emotions. Vulcans were what humans once wished they could be.

 

As the semester went on, it seemed James and Spock always had the same spare classes to prepare for others. They ended up playing chess as they bounced teaching ideas off of each other. Most of their important planning happened over games of 3D chess, it seemed.

 

Of course, they were emotional. Spock had finally accepted emotion in a way Sybok had, almost acting like the human he was part. Around James and his family, at any rate. To his students, he was still the strict, kinda scary hot Vulcan linguistics professor.

 

The semester seemed to bring about old feelings, as well as fostered new ones. Old feelings from time spent on Earth, of time spent apart, of time spent _longing_. Neither wanted to confront what they knew they felt; they were scared, so scared. They had been friends for over a decade. What if it didn't work out? What if they ruined the best and strongest friendship either had ever had? They didn't want to chance it. Really, really didn't.

 

Of course, fate had her own cruel idea.

 

It had been a normal day, one free of classes. James and Spock had decided to go into San Francisco for the day to find new course material and just spend time together as friends. Between teaching and training, they didn't get much time to spend together besides their chess games, and those were spent talking about classes. This trip into the city was going to be mostly social, and they were going to make sure of that.

 

They had been sitting in a park by the water, legs neatly tucked under a picnic table when they found her. She looked so lost and tiny, couldn't have been more than three Earth years old, just wandering the park on her own. Both friends immediately went over to her to see if she was alright. At first, they were speaking standard, but she didn't seem to understand. The briefest of glimpses at the little ears hidden under her unruly dark hair gave them an explanation: this little lost girl was a Vulcan, and she couldn't be too old, so she wouldn't understand standard. James and Spock took turns asking her, calmly and softly, where her parents were in Vulcan, trying to seem as harmless as possible. The little girl, who had declared herself as Perren, said she didn't know where her parents were, but she couldn't 'feel' them anymore. Spock suspected that was because the parental bond Perren shared had been severed, which broke James' heart.

 

James asked Perren if she'd like to return with them, see if they couldn't find something for her to eat. Spock had a stash of Vulcan treats in their shared room, maybe she'd want one of those.

 

As they walked, the pair found out more about Perren. She was 3.675 Earth years old, and her parents were named T'Myka and Sarek. James had lightly elbowed Spock with a slight grin at that. Perren's Dad had the same name as Spock's Dad, and he found that hilarious. Perren went on to say that her mother studied other planet's cultures, and they were on Earth because of that. They had been in San Francisco when Perren separated from her parents. She said that before Spock and James had found her, she had felt a burning hot pain in her heart twice and then... nothing. Nothing from her bond with her parents.

 

Spock and James exchanged a look, one full of concern and worry. Perren's parents had obviously been killed, meaning she was now an orphan on some strange planet. Spock felt the need to comfort her, to give her a hug, but they were both Vulcans, and Vulcans did not hug.

 

Once they reached Starfleet, they headed for Admiral Marcus. He might know what to do, and if he didn't... well, James had a few ideas about what they could do with her. She reminded him of Spock when they'd first met all those years ago, only smaller.

 

Perren chose to hide behind Spock's legs as the two professors talked to Admiral Marcus. The Admiral didn't know what to do with her, so James voiced his own idea.

 

“Spock and I could look after her.”

 

The Admiral looked between the two, and Spock blinked a few times. He wasn't opposed to the idea, it had just been a sudden suggestion. Perren looked up at James with wide brown eyes. She finally understood that her parents were dead, and here was this blonde man offering to take care of her. The blonde man wasn't a Vulcan, but he knew Vulcan custom as well as any native. She would question him about it after.

 

“I would not be opposed to such an arrangement.” Spock said, nodding his agreement. All three then turned to Perren, who had been thinking about it.

 

“I would not be opposed either.” she said quietly. She had only spent a few hours with the two men, but they were comforting and friendly, a change from the Vulcans around her. She found that odd, because the taller of the two was a Vulcan himself, yet he showed genuine emotion and concern. She wanted to know more, about both of them. Maybe having them look after her would be beneficial to her understanding of Earth, and even Vulcan.

 

“Well, boys, guess she's in your hands. I'd contact that planet you both came to us from, her planet. Vulcan's gonna need to know two of its citizens are taking in another.” the Admiral nodded, shooing them out of his office so he could keep working.

 

Heading out of the office, Perren was confused. The blonde man was human. Vulcans were incapable of having blonde hair and such blue eyes, and yet the Admiral had called him a Vulcan citizen? Her curiosity was definitely piqued.

 

James and Spock brought Perren back to their room, talking the entire time about arrangements and such. Perren was old enough by Vulcan standards to go to school, or they could put her in the Academy's daycare. They both still had classes to teach, but they had their prep classes to figure everything out. For now, though, James was going to sleep on the couch and let Perren have his bed. She looked beat, her brown eyes having developed that look James associated with tired Vulcans.

 

Once at their room, James showed Perren where to go and headed back out to the living room to have a serious talk with Spock. Yeah, he'd kinda sprung the idea onto his best friend, and onto himself really, so they needed to talk about it. Perren was pretty young, so this would be one Hell of a commitment. Besides, they had to report T'Myka and Sarek's deaths to the Vulcan High Council anyway. By the sounds of it, T'Myka was a member of the council.

 

The conversation with the Council went something along the lines of 'yeah, dead Vulcans on Earth, we're watching their kid'. The Council didn't much object, even if James didn't give them much time to. Despite their disadvantages, James and Spock were bright and gifted. They could handle Perren, and it allowed the Council to spare themselves the need to find care for her.

 

The conversation with the Council lasted no more than two hours, after which James and Spock talked about new arrangements. They shared a room in the Academy's dorms, being only 19. They had two beds and a couch, so James offered to sleep on the couch until something else could be arranged. Spock wanted to protest, but there was no talking down James when he made a final decision.

* * *

Perren had been with them for three months now, and she had honestly made their lives better. She helped to broaden their concepts of family, and helped them work better with their students. Spock had to say, the small Vulcan had made him wary at first, but she was quite enjoyable. Being so young, Perren was impressionable. She was more open about her emotions, following Spock's example. If Spock was a Vulcan the Council put up with and he was emotional, she could be too.

 

They had ended up sending her to school not far from the Academy. Despite being nearly four, Perren was taking fourth-grade level courses. She was intelligent, and her studies on Vulcan had boosted her knowledge very far.

 

Of course, parenting had its hitches. Perren would sometimes come home on the verge of tears because some kid at her school was bullying her. Every single time, a white hot rage burned under James' skin, in his veins. He had been bullied, he had seen his best friend get bullied, he'd seen his best friend get beat up. He didn't want something like that for Perren. He tried to teach her that fighting back was never the answer, and that she should simply ignore them. The logic stated that if she didn't give a reaction, they would tire of her. Spock agreed with his logic, enforcing it alongside.

 

They had never been called to the school, but there was a first time for everything. It was just after Spock's 20th birthday, three months after Perren came into their lives. Both were teaching their classes when they received a message from her school.

 

James had read his first, having just finished a lecture. He had groaned so loudly his students had turned to look at him. He assured them he was fine, that he had to step out for the rest of the class. He called in a substitute and went to Spock's classroom.

 

Spock read the message ten minutes later. He didn't react as openly as James had, but a small sigh did tumble off his lips. He called in a substitute as well, exiting the class to find James waiting for him.

 

“Wonder what she did.” James muttered as they headed to her school, still in their black Starfleet uniforms. She was a model student, her teachers had told them. Never raised her voice, never got in fights. Hearing that she was in the principal's office for an offence so severe it took them away from their classes confused them. Had she done something, or had someone else?

 

“I do not know. We will see.” Spock responded. The rest of the trip was made in silence, neither knowing what to talk about. I mean, what do you talk about when you find out the kid you're co-parenting is in the principal's office?

 

When they arrived, a secretary pointed them towards the office. Spock knocked politely, waiting for a signal allowing them in. When it was given, they entered the room and stood at the back, next to another set of adults who were evidently another set of parents. The two chairs in front of the desk were occupied by Perren, her small figure barely visible over the back of the chair, and a boy who looked about nine, with a messy mop of red curls. The adults must have been his parents, Spock noted, because they shared similar physical features.

 

“Miss Abernathy.” Spock said shortly, nodding sharply.

 

“Mr. Grayson.” the principal responded. As a child, Spock would've cringed at the use of the surname, but over the years, he had grown fond of it. “Mr. Kirk.” she said, turning to James. “These are Flora and Cayden Marius. Their son, Charles, has something he would like to say.” The tone of her voice suggested she didn't like what he was going to say, but his parents had all but forced her to let him talk to them.

Charles, with his front left tooth missing and his green eyes full of mischief, opened his mouth to speak. “You're her Dads?” he asked, just for clarification. “Good, 'cause then you must know that you're both pretty bad parents. I mean, what kind of people adopt a Vulcan orphan? Who would want that?” he began. “I figured the only kind who would were either masochists or queers. Looks like I was at least a little right. I mean, no one in their right mind would want a Vulcan, least of all that one.” he finished, crossing his arms over his chest in a move that said 'prove I'm right'.

 

James couldn't hold back the snarl on his face, but said nothing. His blue eyes were so full of rage he took a step back to calm himself down.

 

Spock, on the other hand, was containing his rage fairly well thanks to his Vulcan heritage. His ears were unable to be seen under his hat, which he had forgotten to take off when entering the building. Doing that then, Charles realized his mistake right then and there. Sticking out from the sides of Spock's head were very Vulcan ears. A look of horror spread across his dark features, causing him to slink back in his chair.

 

James, as composed as he could get himself in that moment, turned back to Miss Abernathy. “Miss Abernathy, what exactly has been done that called Mr. Grayson and I away from our classes?” he asked, voice steely.

 

Miss Abernathy looked from James to Spock, a moment of pride flitting across her features. She had taught these two in Iowa, more than a decade ago, and here they were, all grown up and co-parenting a brilliant little girl. “Mr. Marius has been harassing young Perren non-stop since she arrived at this school. He seems to have been ingrained with a prejudice against those of Vulcan heritage. While harmless at first, as of late, he has advanced to more physical manifestations of his prejudice. Perren, would you care to tell them what happened today?” she said, all but glaring at Charles.

 

Perren looked up to the two men she wanted to call her Dads, clearing her throat. “I had been at my desk during lunch break at 1200 hours, studying the material for class next week. Charles had come up and taken my study guide, throwing it across the room to his friend Arthur. He proceeded to place his hands on my chest and shove me backwards into the wall, bruising my left scapula, after which he delivered a blow to my right shoulder with his left fist. He delivered one additional blow to my shin with his right foot while he kept me pinned against the wall. When he released me, I administered a nerve pinch and sought out a teacher.” She looked proud of herself as she relayed the course of action to James and Spock. James' rage only grew, and he was fighting to keep it under control. Even Spock's rage was starting to leak through. What kind of child did that to someone so young? Granted, Perren was Vulcan and possessed enhanced strength by human standards, but it was still a horrible thing to do.

 

Miss Abernathy could see the anger bubbling in both men, trying to calm them down with her eyes. She wasn't pleased either, but she imagined they were less pleased than she. Any parent would be angry if someone was harassing their child, especially a toddler by human standards.

 

James turned to Charles' parents with the calmest demeanour he could muster. His blue eyes, usually fun and cheerful, were dark with anger. “Mr. Marius, Mrs. Marius.” he greeted shortly, voice steely and even. “I must ask, why would your son attempt something so violent?” he asked simply, challenge dotted in his eyes.

 

Cayden Grayson shot a look back at James that said 'what are you getting at' before he answered. “I haven't a single idea, Mr. Kirk.” he said, a hint of dishonesty to his voice. Of course he knew why his son was so violent. Charles had been taking self-defence lessons for quite some years, and Cayden and Flora showed an express dislike for Vulcans. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together, honestly. Cayden was actually _proud_ of his son for putting the girl in her place.

 

Spock stepped closer to Cayden, eyes narrowing. “That is a false statement.” was all he said before stepping back to where he was before. Cayden, ever the asshole, had the nerve to step back into Spock's personal space.

 

“And how would you know that, you pointy-eared immigrant?” Cayden snarled. Vulcans had no place on Earth, in his opinion, least of all a place in Starfleet. Cayden's father had been a Starfleet officer, and he was just as awful.

 

Spock kept his emotions in check, attempting to step away from Cayden. “Simple linguistics training trains one to know what to look for in liars. As a linguistics professor, I am quite apt as finding lies.” he said, voice so cold it could've put Delta Vega to shame.

 

Flora Marius cleared her throat, gesturing for her husband to back off. As much as she disliked Vulcans, she didn't want her husband to get in to a fight with a Starfleet officer in front of Charles. Charles had been watching the interaction was a sort of smug satisfaction, as if he gained pleasure from watching his father put Spock in his place. Perren, on the other hand, was trying the best she could to keep her emotions where they belonged. She had grown to like Spock, and she didn't want to have to see him hurt somebody.

 

Miss Abernathy spoke up, if only to break the tense silence. “Charles has been put on academic suspension for two weeks.” she told Spock and James. “Perren has been released for the remainder of the day to heal her injuries.” With that, she gestured for everyone to get the Hell out of her office.

 

James and Spock took Perren, avoiding all three members of the Marius family. No need to get into a fight, even if James was still fuming. Spock had put a hand on his upper arm in comfort, squeezing it softly.

 

As they headed back to Starfleet, James and Spock made plans about where Perren would go. In the end, Perren was going to go with James to his class, as Spock was holding a test the next class. Perren was okay with that; she wanted to see what kind of teacher James was.

 

Once back in his classroom, James sat Perren down on his desk in the corner, waiting for his class to file in and sit down. Some of the students noticed Perren and began whispering between each other. James picked out some of the words in their conversations, including 'cute', 'Vulcan child', and 'professor Spock'. He had a strong suspicion his class suggested Perren was directly related to Spock, which made him chuckle softly.

 

When everyone was settled, James went to begin his lesson. He was halted when a girl in the back of the classroom raised her hand. She looked about James' age, with dark skin and black hair. Human, he noted. Nodding to her in acknowledgement, she asked her question.

 

“Professor, might I ask who the little cutie on your desk is?” she asked, smiling faintly. Perren was adorable, with pale skin and slightly curled black hair. She looked like most human girls her age would, with the exception of her high-swept eyebrows and pointed ears. James had heard a few of the girls in the class coo as they saw her.

“This Perren.” James said, causing Perren to wave out of instinct. “She'll be sitting in on our class today while she's out of school.” With that cleared up, James began his lesson on the proper ways to great members of certain species.

 

After the class was done, the last of the day, James and Perren met Spock out front of the school to head home. James wanted to pick Perren up and carry her out of protective nature, but he knew she wouldn't like that, so he settled for walking beside her.

* * *

23\. James didn't think he'd make it this far. Sure, he lived a pretty normal lifestyle before Starfleet, but Starfleet had him doing off-world peacekeeping missions on occasion, and those usually involved violent warfare. Natural, the day his 23rd birthday came around, he was giddy.

 

Perren, now seven, was starting to get the hang of this whole 'being raised by a human' thing. She was slightly more open about how she felt, and allowed some physical contact, like hugs. She liked hugs, so when James came to wake her up that morning, the first thing she did was hug him tightly to wish him happy birthday. Four years with James and Spock, and she was almost comfortable enough to call them 'Father'. She didn't feel comfortable enough to use any other title, but she hoped she could call them that in the future.

 

Luckily, James' birthday fell on a Saturday, so he didn't have to go in. Him and Spock were still teaching, but they also had off-world missions sometimes. On occasion, they were both off-world, so they left Perren with Amanda, who had convinced Sarek to live on Earth again. After all, one couldn't be Vulcan's ambassador on Earth from Vulcan.

 

Speaking of Amanda, she had come to visit, fussing over James on his birthday. She wouldn't stop hugging him or messing with his hair like any mother would. Since James was 16, Amanda had been the only mother-figure he had, so he let her fret and dote like a mama hen.

 

Spock found the entire ordeal amusing. His mother had always been overly affectionate, even on Vulcan towards his father. Amanda Grayson was a human, it was in her nature to be affectionate. As a child, Spock never told her he appreciated her affections, but when they lived on Earth and he'd let James open him up to his emotions, he had told her just that. She seemed to increase her affection at that, which made Spock happy. Seeing Amanda do the same for James made his chest feel what he would describe as warm and pleasant, as if Amanda had taken James in to their family for her own.

 

Perren found Amanda confusing. She had spent many years living on Vulcan, married to a Vulcan ambassador, and yet she was so, so human. She had maintained her cheery demeanour after all those years, and tried to be as affectionate towards Perren as Perren would allow. After all, Perren was basically her granddaughter at that point. She'd been living with James and Spock for four years; she wasn't going anywhere.

 

James had finally got away from Amanda long enough to take a shower. He loved her, he really did, but if he planned on going out for his birthday, he needed a shower.

 

While he was in the shower, Amanda and Spock began working quickly, setting up streamers and a single golden balloon. Amanda had brought a cake, one enough to serve four, placing it on the table in the kitchen. She set a single candle in the centre of it, stepping back just as James wandered back into the room after his shower.

Spock looked up at the sound of footsteps, momentarily frozen in his place. Despite living with James for so long, Spock still wasn't used to the way he looked after a shower. Golden blonde hair plastered to his face, obscuring his cyan blue eyes. The way the droplets of water glistened on his skin was captivating. The way the light shone off the water just the right way to capture the absolute beauty that was James Kirk. Spock had long ago come to terms with the emotions he felt towards his best friend. Over a decade and a half with such a being was bound to stir some emotional response inside him, and it had stirred up love and adoration. At first, it had alarmed the half-Vulcan, but he had come to terms with it within a year.

 

James was towel-drying his hair when he walked into the room, not quite paying attention to Amanda and Spock. When he finally put down his towel and looked up, a bright grin spread across his face. The presence of streamers and a command-gold balloon, coupled with the cake, meant that they had planned something before hand. He went over to them, pulling them both into a tight hug.

 

“Thank you.” he muttered into Amanda's shoulder. He felt a rush of emotion, just like he did every birthday he spent with Amanda. Emotions like love, respect, admiration, gratitude. Amanda was amazing, and proved that almost every day.

 

Pulling away from the hug, James couldn't help but scooped Perren up into his arms for a hug as well. He was in a hugging mood then, so she was roped into it. She found she didn't mind much.

 

Placing Perren back down, they cut into the cake, vanilla with no refined sugar, and each took a piece.

 

Later, after Perren had retired for a nap and Amanda said goodbye, James and Spock were sitting in the living area, one sprawled across the couch (James), and one sitting ridiculously straight in the armchair (Spock). James' grin had barely faded since it plastered itself on his face, which Spock found endearing.

 

They were sitting in companionable silence as James tossed a rubber ball into the air and caught it, Spock observing his motions and his long, delicate fingers. Spock found that he admired James' physicality, found it aesthetically pleasing. Many nights as a teenagers he had fantasized about aspects of James' physique he had never seen, some which carried forward to that day.

 

Spock had been so lost in his entrancement he hadn't realized he had spoken until the words were out of his mouth, hanging tensely in the air.

 

“I believe I love you.”

 

They were simple words, just four separate words that could've ruined their entire friendship. The minute he realized what he had said, Spock's face, neck, and ears flushed jade green, his eyes darting towards his lap, where his hands were wringing.

 

James had been so startled by the admission that he forgot to catch the ball, allowing it to hit him in the face. He quickly scrambled to a sitting position on the end of the couch closest to Spock, an odd look on his face.

 

No further words were said for a long period of time before James finally reacted properly to Spock's words. He stood, walking over to Spock, blue eyes full of light and another look Spock would later realize was love. When he was all but in Spock's lap, James leaned forward and pressed his lips against Spock's. The kiss was soft and delicate, hesitant, even after Spock kissed back. James melted into the kiss, readjusting himself so he actually was sitting in Spock's lap, straddling his thighs. James' head was craned forward at a comfortable angle, his hands lost in Spock's neat, glossy black hair. Spock's hands had found James' hips, long fingers splayed across the waistband of James' jeans.

 

The kiss lasted but a few seconds, feeling much longer. When they pulled apart, James rested his forehead against Spock's, eyes alight with so many emotions Spock had to take a minute to decipher them all.

 

“Good.” James said after a long pause. “Because I know I love you.”

 

Spock had been caught off guard by the kiss, sitting there in a daze. James' words snapped him out of his haze, bringing him back to reality. He blinked a few times, processing. “How long?” was all he could think to say.

 

“God, Spock...” James mumbled fondly, a lazy smile on his face. “Since we were 10 and someone told me what love was.”

 

“I have repeatedly found myself returning to the same conclusion.” Spock nodded. This was the most emotion James had ever seen on Spock, and it was endearing. His features were alight with complete adoration and love, a beautiful mix on his usually stoic face. Spock wasn't trying to control these emotions either, so James got to take them in and memorize just how amazing they looked coming from Spock.

 

Spock wrapped his arms around James' waist, pulling him in to a tight hug. He buried his face in James' neck, a reaction to hugs he had developed from his mother at a young age. James smiled, wrapping his arms around Spock in return, hugging him tightly as he buried his face in Spock's now not-so-neat hair.

 

That was how Perren found them ten minutes later, wrapped in a tight embrace with smiles on their faces. She had woken up from her nap, so she had naturally sought out her 'parents'. When she found them, she backed away and went back to her room. Both had fallen asleep in their position, looking like they did that every night.

 

Perren, while in her room, located her PADD and sent Amanda a message about how she had found James and Spock. She figured Spock's mother would appreciate the update on their current relationship, seeing as it was probably evolving beyond their friendship. Amanda had responded quickly, her voice full of excitement during the recording. Perren promised her a picture, so she quietly made her way back to the living area with her PADD. The two were still asleep like that, so Perren snapped the best picture she could without waking them. They needed their sleep, even if it was only about 1730.

 

Perren sent Amanda the picture, and Amanda had refrain from letting out a squeal. Sarek would certainly disapprove of a squeal, and Amanda had been training herself not to since she met the Vulcan ambassador. Of course, Sarek would love to know their son had possibly found a mate, so she tracked her husband down to show him the picture. She could've sworn she caught sight of the faintest of smiles on his face, but she didn't bring it up.

 

When James stirred awake a while later, he was still sitting in Spock's lap, arms wrapped around his best friend. Spock still asleep, even breaths puffing against James' neck. James couldn't help but let out a content sigh. 13 years, he'd wanted this. It was the best birthday present he could've received, and he didn't want to screw this relationship over like he had his attempts in the past with others.

 

Spock awoke ten minutes later, taking in the smell of _James_ when he did. Peppermint, cherry, and vanilla. That was what James smelled like, very strongly at the junction of his neck and shoulder if Spock could add. He pulled back, looking up to see James already awake and just playing with his disarray of hair. Spock couldn't find it in himself to care about his hair. He had James Kirk in his arms, after one Hell of a kiss. He felt a rush of emotion wash over him at the reminder. James Kirk, his best friend, loved him. The object of his affection returned said affection, and had proven it quite simply.

 

“Morning, sleepyhead.” James teased, voice still dripping with fatigue.

 

“It is the evening.” Spock noted, just as tired.

 

James chuckled softly. “It's morning if we just woke up.” he decided.

 

“That is illogi-” Spock began, before being cut off by another kiss. It was soft and delicate, like the touch of a flower petal.

 

When James pulled away, he chuckled softly. “Everything I do is illogical.” he reminded Spock fondly. Spock couldn't help but smile slightly, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards.

 

Perren had wandered back into the room when she heard voices, expertly concealing a smile. She couldn't help but enjoy the sight in front of her. The two men she had come to see as her fathers, finally realizing their bond potential. Though the affair had been mostly human in nature, it didn't take away from the importance nor effect of it. Perren had seen their potential from the beginning, and now they were embracing it and hopefully expanding on it. Perren had never seen a stronger example of t'hy'la than James and Spock. It was about time they realized it too.

 

Spock was first to notice Perren, spotting her over James' shoulder. The soft smile on his face had not faded, and only seemed to widen ever so slightly when he spotted Perren. James noticed, his gaze following Spock's to the small Vulcan girl. He too gave a smile, motioning for her to come closer. When she was close enough, James pulled her up into their hug, just a little high on the endorphins the situation produced. Perren let herself be pulled into the hug, and if she smiled, well that was her business. It was a nice hug, a calming one. The contact settled Perren, made her feel at ease and comfortable.

 

They stayed like that for a good few hours, just enjoying each other's company. James couldn't help but think that this was his favourite birthday in a long time.

 


End file.
